32 replies to this topic

[unimatrix0]

After trying everything, and I used the autofocuser with small steps, I'm blaming the cheap sun filter film I got. 

 

I went in both directions with the auto focuser and this is the best I can get. 

 

The sun stays blurry .  I tried it adding a UV/IR filter too on the reducer, but only made the sun yellower, I still couldn't focus better than it is. 

 

Otherwise I get great focus on stars and moon etc. 

 

I'm just gonna use the Seestar 50, it has a much sharper view. 

 

Do you think it's the cheap $20 film from amazon? 

 

btw the camera is asi071mc pro and the scope is the svbony 80ED triplet. RAW16 with Sharpcap Pro, the color balance is off. 

 

I 3d printed a custom dustcap, which has an 80mm hole and I cut and glued a circle piece of the solar viewing film in. 

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Edited by unimatrix0, 06 April 2024 - 05:26 PM.

[DeepSky Di]

Notice it looks sharper at the top and bottom than it does at the sides. Weird!

 

I'm using Canon DSLRs, refractors with EAFs and the autofocuser remote, plus a 2x magnifying visor on my eyes on top of the 10x flip screen magnification. I'm finding going fast rather than slow on the autofocuser remote is better as the in-focus seems to pop.

[steveward53]

A couple of grand on a 'scope and camera combo then you go tightwad and use some unknown solar filter supplier off Amazon ... 

 

I'd suggest getting a sheet of Baader Astrosolar film but it's a bit late for that ... 

Edited by steveward53, 06 April 2024 - 06:09 PM.

[DeepSky Di]

Does the camera focus on stars or something far away in daylight without the film?

[steveward53]

Does the filter film have an extra clear plastic protective layer on it as per the Baader film , this has thrown numerous folk in the past ?

[unimatrix0]

A couple of grand on a 'scope and camera combo then you go tightwad and use some unknown solar filter supplier off Amazon ... 

 

I'd suggest getting a sheet of Baader Astrosolar film but it's a bit late for that ... 

I did not buy my rig to image the Sun.      I do astrophotography mostly for the past 3 years. 

I only did this as a second thought, I wasn't even sure if it was gonna work, so since the solar eclipse is the new trend, everything is sold out related to the sun. 

Edited by unimatrix0, 06 April 2024 - 06:24 PM.

[Skywatchr]

After trying everything, and I used the autofocuser with small steps, I'm blaming the cheap sun filter film I got. 

 

I went in both directions with the auto focuser and this is the best I can get. 

 

The sun stays blurry .  I tried it adding a UV/IR filter too on the reducer, but only made the sun yellower, I still couldn't focus better than it is. 

 

Otherwise I get great focus on stars and moon etc. 

 

I'm just gonna use the Seestar 50, it has a much sharper view. 

 

Do you think it's the cheap $20 film from amazon? 

 

btw the camera is asi071mc pro and the scope is the svbony 80ED triplet. RAW16 with Sharpcap Pro, the color balance is off. 

 

I 3d printed a custom dustcap, which has an 80mm hole and I cut and glued a circle piece of the solar viewing film in. 

100% and there are some counterfeit solar films sold on Amazon.  You're not the first to have been bitten by it.

 

Always click on the Seller of anything on Amazon.  You'll find at least 90% of everything is some random Chinese seller.  I have seen many of them even change names, and create new listings of the same trash because their feedback was so poor under their "other" name. And their old name disappears...  Like a game of Whack-a-Mole...
 

[steveward53]

100% and there are some counterfeit solar films sold on Amazon.  You're not the first to have been bitten by it.

 

 

All the reports I've seen on the fake film have stated that it's way too dark so as to not to be able to see anything through it at all.

[unimatrix0]

All the reports I've seen on the fake film have stated that it's way too dark so as to not to be able to see anything through it at all.

Might be it, because I had to crank up the gain and the exposure to get anything through. 

 

Anyway, my seestar is doing good, so if I do any images of the sun on monday, I got it covered. 

 

Here is the seller and his junk
https://www.amazon.c...s/dp/B0CX6GY58B

Edited by unimatrix0, 06 April 2024 - 06:30 PM.

[Skywatchr]

After trying everything, and I used the autofocuser with small steps, I'm blaming the cheap sun filter film I got. 

 

I went in both directions with the auto focuser and this is the best I can get. 

 

The sun stays blurry .  I tried it adding a UV/IR filter too on the reducer, but only made the sun yellower, I still couldn't focus better than it is. 

 

Otherwise I get great focus on stars and moon etc. 

 

I'm just gonna use the Seestar 50, it has a much sharper view. 

 

Do you think it's the cheap $20 film from amazon? 

 

btw the camera is asi071mc pro and the scope is the svbony 80ED triplet. RAW16 with Sharpcap Pro, the color balance is off. 

 

I 3d printed a custom dustcap, which has an 80mm hole and I cut and glued a circle piece of the solar viewing film in. 

What you got there, is simply cheap aluminized mylar film used for crafts and decorations.  It is not Solar Safe!  It won't hurt the camera, but your eyes are a different story.  I kmow it is standard mylar film because of the pink-ish color it produces.

[Skywatchr]

All the reports I've seen on the fake film have stated that it's way too dark so as to not to be able to see anything through it at all.

Some are made of craft type aluminized mylar film that will not be "too" dark.

Edited by Skywatchr, 06 April 2024 - 06:28 PM.

[Skywatchr]

Might be it, because I had to crank up the gain and the exposure to get anything through. 

 

Anyway, my seestar is doing good, so if I do any images of the sun on monday, I got it covered. 

 

Here is the seller and his junk
https://www.amazon.c...s/dp/B0CX6GY58B

Be very skeptical of reviews because many have been found to be faked.  Their "buddies" (or fake accounts) will buy something, then give a "raving" review, and most are simple one liners.

[unimatrix0]

Here is what I made, but I guess it's a waste 

 

 

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[Bob Campbell]

After trying everything, and I used the autofocuser with small steps, I'm blaming the cheap sun filter film I got. 

 

I went in both directions with the auto focuser and this is the best I can get. 

 

The sun stays blurry .  I tried it adding a UV/IR filter too on the reducer, but only made the sun yellower, I still couldn't focus better than it is. 

 

Otherwise I get great focus on stars and moon etc. 

 

I'm just gonna use the Seestar 50, it has a much sharper view. 

 

Do you think it's the cheap $20 film from amazon? 

 

btw the camera is asi071mc pro and the scope is the svbony 80ED triplet. RAW16 with Sharpcap Pro, the color balance is off. 

 

I 3d printed a custom dustcap, which has an 80mm hole and I cut and glued a circle piece of the solar viewing film in. 

did you use the sharpcap live surface stacking? Works great for planets and the moon. Could be the film, but by definition the seeing is horrible when imaging through the solar-heated column of air.

 

Bob

[Bob Campbell]

Might be it, because I had to crank up the gain and the exposure to get anything through. 

 

Anyway, my seestar is doing good, so if I do any images of the sun on monday, I got it covered. 

 

Here is the seller and his junk
https://www.amazon.c...s/dp/B0CX6GY58B

only 2 reviews and a  new item. someone scamming the eclipse frenzy. what could go wrong?

 

Bob

[unimatrix0]

did you use the sharpcap live surface stacking? Works great for planets and the moon. Could be the film, but by definition the seeing is horrible when imaging through the solar-heated column of air.

 

Bob

I had the dew shield all the way collapsed so the objective lens was nearly against it. And it's cold here.. I mean we are in the low 40s in the Northeast. 

[unimatrix0]

only 2 reviews and a  new item. someone scamming the eclipse frenzy. what could go wrong?

 

Bob

Their storefront shows they are selling a lot of solar related stuff

https://www.amazon.c...D=ATVPDKIKX0DER

 

If they are bad, it looks like lots of people gonna end up with eye damage. 

Edited by unimatrix0, 06 April 2024 - 06:44 PM.

[Bob Campbell]

Their storefront shows they are selling a lot of solar related stuff

https://www.amazon.c...D=ATVPDKIKX0DER

 

If they are bad, it looks like lots of people gonna end up with eye damage. 

wow. wonder if amazon will be held liable?

 

OTOH, if you had to jack up gain and exposure to see anything, then a visual observer will just see black. Trouble might come when he/she rips it off to see better.

 

any chance you have two layers of film stuck together? That would explain a lot. (transmissivity and optical quality)

 

Bob

[RichA]

A couple of grand on a 'scope and camera combo then you go tightwad and use some unknown solar filter supplier off Amazon ... 

 

I'd suggest getting a sheet of Baader Astrosolar film but it's a bit late for that ... 

Baader would be the choice, but I've doubled up a sheet of WINDOW solar film and gotten decent images so it's likely not the filter.  More like field curvature perhaps and bad focus coupled with poor seeing.

[MisterDan]

Your film looks pretty "tight," and my understanding is that such filtering film should never be stretched in its mount. If you're sure it's not stretched, no problem.  If you're not sure, and you have more of the material, you might try another section; remove the sheet shown and try a re-mount.  Make sure it's got a wee bit of slack.  Visible waves/wrinkles should not distort the image.

 

Best wishes and luck.

Dan

[unimatrix0]

Your film looks pretty "tight," and my understanding is that such filtering film should never be stretched in its mount. If you're sure it's not stretched, no problem.  If you're not sure, and you have more of the material, you might try another section; remove the sheet shown and try a re-mount.  Make sure it's got a wee bit of slack.  Visible waves/wrinkles should not distort the image.

 

Best wishes and luck.

Dan

It's not very tight , I can push it with my finger and collapses in. It's taped in that plastic frame around the edges.  I'll make another and see what happens, maybe try it with my other scope. 

Edited by unimatrix0, 07 April 2024 - 10:33 AM.

[unimatrix0]

Ok, so I tried again, with my Nikon DSLR.

Also the same telescope and different flattener. 

 

I know I don't really need flattener, but it should be sharp with or without flattener? 

 Couldn't focus anyway.   

The previous night I star-focused my telescope and worked great, stars were sharp with no issues. 

Then I switched telescopes to my 50mm evoguide doublet with flattener.  Same bad results. 

Made a new solar cap with more wrinkles on the film, it doesn't seem to matter. 

This is the closest focus point I can achieve with this solar film. see image attached. I even furter toned down the exposure and zoomed in those sun spots and went back and forth with the focuser with no luck finding a better focus point. 
 

 

 

Anyone can recommend a solar film or glass?  It doesn't matter when it arrives.  I need one for a 6" (150mm scope) and an 80mm aperture scope. 

 

What's the recommendations? 

 

I"m just asking because I saw similar priced solar filter film on Agena astro ($12-$25) from "Thousand Oaks".   The price worries me. 

 

Are they reputable or another scam? 

 

I'm not trusting online reviews anymore.  I want something that works and I'm not flushing $10s-20s down the toilet. 

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Edited by unimatrix0, 07 April 2024 - 03:01 PM.

[steveward53]

Baader AstroSolar Safety Film is by far the best thin film filter material out there and better resolution than a glass filter.

 

Available in A4 sheets to make your own filter or as ready made filter cells.

Edited by steveward53, 07 April 2024 - 03:13 PM.

[gstrumol]

+1 on Steve's recommendation. Baader is the best. The problem isn't with the camera or the scope. It's your filter. The Baader film looks like aluminum foil, slightly wrinkled (never taut!). And the images it produced are sharp. For example:

 

Edited by gstrumol, 08 April 2024 - 11:02 AM.

[DeepSky Di]

Thousand Oaks from Agena is not a scam. I got some and it works. Depending what you want to do with it, Spectrum glass is better but more expensive. ERF may be necessary for larger apertures.